Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-09-15
THE THEATER HORROR.
What Caused the Crush in the
Burned Theater at Exeter,
England.
The Way of Escape Blocked
by the Ticket-Taker's
Tin Box.
or Nearly 200 Persons In the Gallery
Over Half Lose Their
Lives.

There are still many things to be cleared
up yet before il can be understood here
how SO many score of people were incin-
Grated in the Royal Thedter in Exeter.
Although in the reports from the scene OF |
the calamity only one exit from the gal
lery is mentioned, the architect OF the edi-
fice says that there were three-as he says,
"broad and palatial." From the very latest
and most authentic reports which have
reach here il is clear that many or the
victims were suffocated, and not burned to
death as has been stated. The number OF
victims still remains uncertain. 1t may
never be known absolutely, but the loss OF
life is at least $50 and it may possibly
be as high as 200. Nine-tenths or those
who perished were occupants OF the
gallery, the others being from the pit and
the upper boxes. Not quite five-sixths OF
the victims perished in the staircase lead
ing from the gallery to the street, the only
means Of exit open from the gallery. IL
was of stone with stone walls and had an
iron railing running along on one side. 1t
had four distinct turns and was In fact
spiral descent. The result was that as peo-
| pie madly rushed down they became hope
iessly iammed and crushed at each turn.
| In their frantic attempts to free themselves
the limbs of some appear to have been torn
| off, and in other cases fractured. At each
bend or angle was found pile of charred
| human remains. A high post about halt
way down the winding passage was another
| fatal obstruction to the free passage or the
IN the staiicsse very Few Few, Il ndeed, de- cSSId
have escaped. One of these opened upon
leaden roof and the other overlooked the
| street. Several climbed out and leaped to
the ground, distance of fourteen feet, or
were rescued by fire escapes. Out OF l9O
persons known to have been in the gallery,
very few escaped by the door. Surprise
aud indignation are expressed that In q
modern building there should have been
but one exit from the gallery and that OF
such an unsatisfactory character.
The victims were mostly working people.
Daylight revealed an appalling sight. In
a shed at the back of the London Hotel the
dead bodies we're laid in rows of about
twenty each awaiting identification. Crowds
fiocked 10 Guildhall as early as six O'Clock
for tickets to admit them to the yard to looh
for missing relatives and friends. While
the melancholy work of viewing the bodies
went on the police were continually bring
ing in shapeless human remains. by de-
orees the shed floors of adjoining stablei
we're filed with the mutilated trunks, ant
the limbs discovered as the work OF searci
proceeded were laid out on straw in tn
open yard. =, :,
In only very few cases can the bodie
be identified by their countenances.
one corner of the yard Is heap OF calcine'
bodies and burnt rags. The scenes In tn
inclosure were most narrowing. Womel
tainted as they recognized by som
familiar token their lost ones, and thei
lamentations were heartrending. ANON
the last of the bodies brought in was tha
of a father, beneath whom was found hi
child only few weeks old. The positio
of the arms showed that the poor man wa
doing his best to save the infant when
fell. The bodies of women are in som
cases only to be distinguished by thei
: wedding-rings. AS the search proceede
il became only too evident that the loss
life was not confined TO the gallery occu
: pants. Lives were lost in the pit, where
Z terrible crush took place, and in the NJ
2 per circle. Many charred bodies were rt
: covered from the gallery saloon and secon
circle saloon. The victims had apparent
q become blocked in rushing for the ba
n comics.
3 The charred remains OF twenty pc
sons we're discovered in one heap.
y mother, father, and child were four
clasped in one embrace. Several who
families numbering from two to five 10
their lives.
The number of persons severely injurt
q is sixty, and it is feared that the death Il
N will reach l40.